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Pan bagnat
Pan bagnat: Nice's pressed round sandwich of tuna, anchovies, egg, tomato and olives
Pan bagnat, 'bathed bread' in Niçois, is the beach and market lunch of Nice, sold wrapped in paper from kiosks around the Cours Saleya and packed for picnics on the pebbles of the Promenade. A round crusty roll is soaked with fruity olive oil and filled with everything that goes into a salade niçoise: tuna, anchovies, hard-boiled egg, tomato, sweet green pepper, spring onion and black olives. Pressed for an hour, it turns juicy, compact and easy to eat in big, messy bites. Serve it on its own or with a few radishes and a glass of something cold. Chef's tip: rub the cut bread with garlic before the oil goes on; it perfumes every bite without overpowering the fish.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Lower 4 eggs into boiling water and cook for 9–10 minutes, until the yolks are firm. Cool in cold water, peel and slice.
10 minStep 2: Cut 4 round crusty bread rolls (about 15 cm across) in half and pull out a little of the soft crumb from the tops to make room for the filling. Rub the cut sides with 1 garlic clove.
Step 3: Whisk 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil with 1 tbsp red wine vinegar and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Drizzle half of it over the cut sides of the bread so it soaks in.
Step 4: Layer the bottoms with 3 ripe tomatoes, then 1 small sweet green pepper, 3 spring onions, flaked 9 oz tuna in olive oil, egg slices, 8 anchovy fillets in oil, 2 ⅛ oz black olives (Niçoise) and 12 basil leaves. Add radishes if using. Drizzle with the rest of the dressing and close with the tops.
Step 5: Wrap each sandwich tightly in baking paper or cling film, set them on a tray, put a board and a few tins on top and leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Don't skip the pressing: an unpressed pan bagnat falls apart and the bread stays dry instead of soaking up the juices.
60 minStep 6: Unwrap and eat cold or at cool room temperature, within a few hours.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pan bagnat take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of garlic clove?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of red wine vinegar?
- Sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar, same amount.
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